Biden's FY2023 Budget Puts Focus on Cancer, Seeks $49 Billion for NIH
The Biden Administration released its Fiscal Year 2023 budget blueprint this week, which calls on Congress to continue providing strong support for cancer research. We are encouraged that President Biden’s statement on the budget includes a specific appeal to “end cancer as we know it,” a line he also used in this month’s State of the Union address.
The White House budget requests $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $7.7 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This includes full funding of $50 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) and $216 million to support the Cancer Moonshot. The Administration outlines that a key priority of the reignited Cancer Moonshot is to “identify barriers to broader cancer screening and investigate the most effective means of delivering screening… to help offset the millions of delayed cancer screenings due to the pandemic, with a focus on reaching those individuals most at risk.”
The budget plan also includes $5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Health (ARPA-H), a new agency housed within the NIH. ARPA-H is designed to make pivotal investments to support transformational innovation in health technologies and speed the application and implementation of health breakthroughs. Its initial focus will be on cancer and other diseases such as diabetes and dementia.
The NCI is part of the NIH and is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training. Federal funding is particularly critical in pediatric oncology, with the vast majority of childhood cancer research and clinical trials funded through the NCI. Over 90% of children and adolescents who are diagnosed with cancer each year in the US are cared for at a children’s cancer center that is affiliated with the NCI-supported Children’s Oncology Group (COG).
The president’s budget serves as a starting point for a months-long appropriations process. (In fact, the FY2022 spending bill - funding the government through September 30th of this year - was just signed into law earlier this month!) It is now up to Congress to decide what is available for each agency and program in a deliberative process that involves input from stakeholders like those of us in the cancer community.
We’ll be bringing you opportunities to take action in support of cancer research throughout the spring and summer. First up is the Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Day on April 28th. This year’s event is virtual, which opens up the opportunity for families from all across the country to participate in this community day of action.
The deadline to register for Childhood Cancer Action Day is Friday, April 8th: